Joyce Woods' Obituary
Joyce Woods died peacefully in her sleep on Friday, December 20th at the Wheeler Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was born in Wilson, Oklahoma on February 16, 1923, the fifth of seven children. In 1931 her parents, Harrison Augustus Watson (“H.A.”) and Icie Cora Cates Watson (“Cora”), moved the family to Lubbock, Texas where they lived at 3003 19th Street for many years. Joyce graduated from Texas Tech University, as did all of her six siblings.
Joyce had a beautiful singing voice and was a featured soloist with the First Methodist Church of Lubbock. She also had the honor of singing at Carnegie Hall in New York City when she was a young woman.
Joyce married James Henry Woods, the son of her father’s friend, Dr. Linnie Woods and his wife, Clara Woods, on June 23, 1956. She and James moved to Shamrock and opened a five-and-dime store which they operated for several years before deciding to open a shoe store. Joyce and James enjoyed the customers and friends who came to Woods’ Shoe Store over the many years they had the store. When James died in January 1993, Joyce kept the store open by herself until she retired.
In November 1995 Joyce was honored with the Citizen of the Year award by the Shamrock Chamber of Commerce. In February 2002 the Chamber of Commerce honored her again, this time with the Woman of the Year award. The award acknowledged Joyce’s performance of “countless unseen acts of kindness to many throughout the community.” Joyce was very proud of these awards, as she had spent her entire adult life as a hard-working, independent, small business owner, and she was immensely grateful to be part of the supportive and loving Shamrock community.
Joyce brought much joy to the many “shut-ins” (as she referred to her isolated friends) who she visited over the years, oftentimes bringing them jars of her famous wild plum and elderberry jelly that she so lovingly made. She continued these visits until she herself started to become a bit too frail to drive, at the age of 85. Until that time, bags of wild plums used to mysteriously appear at the door of “the jelly lady.”
When Joyce turned 90, many of her Shamrock friends went to Wheeler where she was living and gave her a spectacular birthday party, which she greatly enjoyed and talked about many times following the momentous event.
Joyce was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her sisters Melba Thomas, Lois Herring, Cora Jean Turner, Jo Rae Watson, and Kay Lynn Fulton, and her brother H.A. Watson, Jr. She is survived by her nephews and nieces and their families; Dyke Turner of Seattle, Washington; Kent Turner of Bainbridge, Washington; Ray Moore of Little Rock, Arkansas; Jan Crawford of Georgetown, Texas; Danis Watson of Amarillo, Texas; Mindy Doak of Lubbock, Texas; her cousin Elizabeth Ann Gifford of Amarillo; and good friends in Shamrock, Wheeler, Lubbock, and other places.
Burial will be Monday, December 30, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at Resthaven Cemetery in Lubbock. Arrangements are being made by Robertson Funeral Directors in Shamrock.
The family requests memorials be sent to Hospice Care of the Southwest, 6600 Killgore Ave., Suite 110, Amarillo, TX 79106, 806-356-0026.
What’s your fondest memory of Joyce?
What’s a lesson you learned from Joyce?
Share a story where Joyce's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Joyce you’ll never forget.
How did Joyce make you smile?